Current Projects

Smoking

Preventing Teen Smoking by Restricting Movie Exposure

  • Awarding Agency: National Cancer Institute, CA94273
  • Project Period: 09/28/01-08/31/06
  • Principal Investigator: Madeline A. Dalton, Ph.D.
Aim:
To evaluate the impact of movies on attitudes toward smoking and smoking initiation among pre-adolescents; examine parental attitudes and behaviors regarding children's movie viewing; and develop tailored interventions to assist parents in choosing age-appropriate movies for their children.

Movie Influences on Adolescent Smoking: A Follow-Up Study

  • Awarding Agency: National Cancer Institute, CA108918
  • Project Period: 05/25/05-03/31/10
  • Principal Investigators: Madeline A. Dalton, Ph.D. and Michael L. Beach, M.D., Ph.D.
Aim:
To evaluate the influence of movies on adolescent smoking behavior and to identify parenting factors that might modify the association between exposure to movie smoking and adolescent smoking.

Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-05-015); Supplement to: Movie Influences on Adolescent Smoking: A Follow-Up Study

  • Awarding Agency: National Cancer Institute, CA108918-01A1
  • Project Period: 09/21/05-03/31/07
  • Principal Investigator: Madeline A. Dalton, Ph.D.
  • Recipient: Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Ph.D.
Aim:
To evaluate the relationship between physical activity and team sport participation, media use, and adolescent smoking. To determine whether the protective influence of team sport participation on adolescent smoking is mediated by differences in exposure to smoking in movies.

 

Obesity, Activity, and Diet

The Effect of Motivation, Barriers, and Perceptions of the Built Environment on Physical Activity Levels

  • Awarding Agency: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 58543
  • Project Period: 08/01/06-07/31/07
  • Principal Investigator: Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Ph.D.
Aim:
To evaluate the impact of motivation to do physical activity on adult perceptions of the built environment and to determine whether perceived psychological barriers to physical activity influence the relationship between characteristics of the built environment and physical activity among mothers in rural communities.

Environmental and Family Influences on Adolescent Overweight

  • Awarding Agency: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, ES014218
  • Project Period: 9/19/05-08/31/10
  • Principal Investigator: Madeline A. Dalton, Ph.D.
Aim:
To evaluate individual, family, school, and community influences on adolescent overweight. To identify characteristics of the environment, such as community design and resource availability, that influence adolescents' physical activity and dietary patterns.

Obesity and the Built Environment Additional Observational Measures

  • Awarding Agency: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 58124
  • Project Period: 07/01/06-06/30/09
  • Principal Investigators: Madeline A. Dalton, Ph.D. and Norman Marshall
Aim:
To use three instruments developed with the support of Robert Wood Johnson's Active Living Program to assess community characteristics, parks, and trails as part of a larger study evaluating the influence of the built environment on adolescent obesity.

Youth Exposure to Food and Beverage Placement in Movies

  • Awarding Agency: National Cancer Institute, CA116706
  • Project Period: 07/15/05-06/30/07
  • Principal Investigator: Lisa A. Sutherland, Ph.D.
Aim:
To assess the prevalence and intensity of food and beverage placement in movies and to estimate youth exposure to food and beverage brand appearances.

TV Watching Exposure, Eating, and Nutrition Study (TWEENS)

  • Awarding Agency: National Cancer Institute, CA113949
  • Project Period: 10/01/06-09/30/11
  • Principal Investigator: Lisa A. Sutherland, Ph.D.
Aim:
To assess children’s exposure to food and beverage advertisements on TV and evaluate its impact on children’s dietary practices.

The Impact of School Vending Machine Policies on Adolescent Beverage Consumption in Rural High Schools

  • Awarding Agency: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 63147
  • Project Period: 09/01/07-08/31/09
  • Principal Investigator: Anna Adachi-Mejia, Ph.D.
Aim:
To analyze the impact of school vending machine policies on adolescent beverage consumption in predominantly rural high schools across New Hampshire and Vermont.

 

Chronic Illness

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Family HIV Program

  • Awarding Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
  • Project Period: 08/01/04-07/31/05
  • Principal Investigator: Mary Margaret Andrews, M.D.
Aim:
To provide integrated, family-centered clinical care and care coordination at the service level for HIV patients, and to conduct individual and statewide advocacy.

S.T.A.R. - Steps Toward Adult Responsibility Program

  • Awarding Agency: Phyllis Wilson, EdD, Private donor
  • Project Period: 1996-2001 (Phase 1); 2002-2006 (Phase 2)
  • Principal Investigator: Mark Detzer, Ph.D.
Aim:
To promote healthy psychological/social development for adolescents with chronic physical health conditions through educational, support and group mentoring for teens and their parents.

Long-term Impact of Surviving a Sibling in the NICU

  • Awarding Agency: Hearst Foundation Endowment
  • Project Period: 07/01/05-06/30/06
  • Principal Investigator: Joanna Fanos, Ph.D.
Aim:
To investigate the long-term psycho-social consequences of surviving a sibling who died in the neonatal intensive care nursery (NICU), evaluate family characteristics that correlate with sibling adjustment, and identify aspects of NICU care that could help siblings cope with the loss.

Partners in Chronic Care

  • Awarding Agency: Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
  • Project Period: 7/1/2002-6/30/2006
  • Principal Investigator: Ardis Olson, M.D.
Aim:
To develop and implement a new model of care coordination that results in optimal outcomes in patient health, family satisfaction and cost efficiency. This project uses a systems-based model which promotes anticipatory and preventive care coordination for children with complex needs.

New Hampshire Partners in Health

  • Awarding Agency: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
  • Project Period: 08/2005-06/2007
  • Principal Investigator: Ardis Olson, M.D.
Aim:
To assist families of children with chronic health conditions to obtain the information and resources necessary to effectively manage the chronic illness of their child. To promote collaboration between families, school personnel and primary care providers to achieve the best outcomes possible for children with chronic health conditions.

William Randolph Hearst Endowment Fund for Perinatal Education

  • Awarding Agency: Hearst Fund for Perinatal Research and Education
  • Project Period: 06/01/06 - 04/01/07
  • Principal Investigator: Mary-Margaret Andrews, M.D.
Aim:
The overarching goal of the project is to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child during childbirth through the education of health care practitioners on the US Public Health Service's recommended guidelines for reducing perinatal transmission. This goal will be achieved through the development of educational presentations and educational packages that will be distributed to NH and VT practitioners.

 

Prenatal Exposure

Continuation of follow-up of DES-exposed cohorts

  • Awarding Agency: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, N01 CP51019
  • Project Period: 09/30/92-09/29/10
  • Principal Investigator: Linda Titus-Ernstoff, Ph.D.
Aim:
The aims of this renewed phase of follow-up are to evaluate cancer incidence and mortality in the DES mothers cohort, and to examine the relationship between in utero DES exposure and adverse health outcomes in the daughters and sons cohorts. We will also evaluate the possibility of DES effects in the third generation of women (the granddaughters of women exposed to DES during pregnancy).